July 16 – July 29, 2023
Welcome to issue four hundred and nineteen of the Sports Doing Good newsletter. This week’s 10 stories include:

1. MLB draft 2023: Arjun Nimmala swaps cricket for baseball (ESPN)
2. Mark Walter Group Acquires PHF, Making Way For #OneLeague In Women’s Hockey (Forbes)
3. The UEFA Champions League starts here: In far-flung Iceland, where small clubs dream big (ESPN)
4. The Converse Chuck Taylor and why it’s ‘still the greatest shoe of all time’ (The Athletic)
5. This Former Marine Had Her Leg Amputated — Now She’s Climbing the World’s Tallest Mountains (Nice News)
6. Bitter rivals. Beloved friends. Survivors. (Washington Post)
7. FIFA’s game changer — from police raids to records, growth and reform (ABC News)
8. Homeless World Cup brings its message of hope to California (Reuters)
9. Baseball players are staying mindful on the diamond with barefoot walks in the grass (ABC News)
10. Australia and New Zealand Are Eager to Show a More Inclusive Version of Themselves (SI)


10+
The Basketball Africa League and Speak Up Africa launch mentorship program for gender equality in Africa (BAL)
https://bal.africa-newsroom.com/press/the-basketball-africa-league-and-speak-up-africa-launch-mentorship-program-for-gender-equality-in-africa?lang=en
Peace and Sport Releases Its 2022 Annual Report (Peace and Sport)
https://www.peace-sport.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/AnnualReport-2022.pdf
How Barbie Changed the Landscape in the World of Athletics (SportsEngine)
https://www.sportsengine.com/movies/how-barbie-changed-the-landscape-in-the-world-of-athletics
Four lessons from women’s football for advancing gender equality (IMD)
https://www.imd.org/ibyimd/leadership/four-lessons-from-womens-football-for-advancing-gender-equality/
Women’s World Cup stars take part in football’s biggest climate initiative (Sport and Dev)
https://www.sportanddev.org/latest/news/womens-world-cup-stars-take-part-football%E2%80%99s-biggest-climate-initiative


We present again our “Featured Video” offering(s). With the explosion of video content out there highlighting the good in sport, we want to showcase such content for your enjoyment and learning. This will be an ongoing effort. And now we add podcasts!

The Pro-League With Players as Bosses (Bloomberg)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2023-07-13/the-pro-league-with-players-as-bosses
The Negro League revolutionized baseball – MLB’s new rules are part of its legacy (NPR/Fresh Air)
https://www.npr.org/2023/07/10/1184587949/negro-league-baseball-mlb-sam-pollard
328: Rachel Baribeau on the Importance of Joy (Columbia University Sport Management)
https://www.blogtalkradio.com/thecuspshow/2023/07/06/328-rachel-baribeau-on-the-importance-of-joy
‘My Wish’: Young fan gets dream day with Mike Trout (ESPN)
https://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=38015319
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: “There are times when you don’t have any choice but to speak the truth”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kareem-abdul-jabbar-social-critic-on-substack/
Introduction
I am fortunate to be a lecturer in the graduate sports management program at Columbia University. The program has a terrific initiative that matches their high-level student talent with top sports non-profit entities. Known as CLASP, the Community Leadership and Service Program, students are matched with nonprofit organizations to participate in project-based educational work to give back to the sports community. These projects can include but are not limited to:
:
• Annual Report Development
• Database management
• Research
• Marketing Campaigns
• Social media audit
• Ambassador Program Development
• Partnership and Demographic Data
• Reporting
• Program Evaluation

If you work for a sports non-profit, or know of those who do, I strongly recommend taking a look into a partnership with CLASP. You can contact me directly and I can introduce you to the program coordinator. Thank you.

Rivalries, whether including teams, countries, or individuals, are a core part of sports. Rivalries earn their stripes over time, with great performances, consequential matchups, and ultimately longevity, giving fans a body of work that provide a bevy of memories.

Many rivalries are intense, sometimes going too far amongst supporters (usually the participants don’t get that crazy). But like much in sports, as fans we identify with the athletes, attach our mood, mindset, or self-esteem to the outcome of their competition. What I love to see is a rivalry over time that brings out the best in both parties – that often happens – and ultimately is defined by wonderful sportsmanship and even friendship.

One of the articles featured this week from the Washington Post, profiles two of the top athletes when I was growing up, women’s tennis legends Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. From different countries, with different playing styles, these two often found themselves playing each other for the largest stakes in their sport, grand slam titles. They dominated the sport and were brilliant while doing that.

These legends are admired much for the way they carried themselves and respected the sport. And that is what really stands out for me. For individuals to elevate themselves and their sport through honest competition and brilliant performances, makes us all better and further strengthens the sport, allowing fans and athletes to learn how they themselves can be brilliant, on and off the court. Both Martina and Chris are being challenged by their toughest opponent, cancer, and find strength in their history, their present, and hopefully a long-shared future.

If you think others would like to receive the newsletter, please feel free to forward it on or have them contact us directly at sab@sportsdoinggood.com. (If you do not want to receive the newsletter anymore you can use the Unsubscribe button at the end of the email).

So, enjoy. And have a good week.

MLB draft 2023: Arjun Nimmala swaps cricket for baseball (ESPN)
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/37929232/mlb-draft-2023-arjun-nimmala-cricket-baseball

Mark Walter Group Acquires PHF, Making Way For #OneLeague In Women’s Hockey (Forbes)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericalayala/2023/06/30/mark-walter-group-acquires-phf-making-way-for-oneleague-in-womens-hockey/?sh=7678384b3642

The UEFA Champions League starts here: In far-flung Iceland, where small clubs dream big (ESPN)
https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/37944087/inside-uefa-champions-league-iceland-2023-24

The Converse Chuck Taylor and why it’s ‘still the greatest shoe of all time’ (The Athletic)
https://theathletic.com/4525419/2023/06/06/converse-chuck-taylor-shoe-greatest-of-all-time/

This Former Marine Had Her Leg Amputated — Now She’s Climbing the World’s Tallest Mountains (Nice News)
https://nicenews.com/everyday-heroes/marine-climbs-seven-summits-after-amputation/

Bitter rivals. Beloved friends. Survivors. (Washington Post)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/interactive/2023/chris-evert-martina-navratilova-cancer/

FIFA’s game changer — from police raids to records, growth and reform (ABC News)
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-09/fifas-game-changer-police-raids-to-records-growth-and-reform/102552432

Homeless World Cup brings its message of hope to California (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/sports/homeless-world-cup-brings-its-message-hope-california-2023-07-08/

Baseball players are staying mindful on the diamond with barefoot walks in the grass (ABC News)
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/baseball-players-staying-mindful-diamond-barefoot-walks-grass-101149133

Australia and New Zealand Are Eager to Show a More Inclusive Version of Themselves (SI)
https://www.si.com/soccer/2023/07/17/womens-world-cup-australia-new-zealand-host-countries-daily-cover

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Our goal is to have Sports Doing Good be a portal housing original content and excerpts from and links to the increasing number of articles, websites, video, and other media that showcase the good in sports and society. We aim to celebrate those concepts, activities, events, and individuals by highlighting them for a wider audience. Much of the news today, whether sports- related or not, is incredibly negative and increasingly polarizing, biased, and quite annoying. We are trying to refocus some of the discussion on the good, with a focus on sports.

Our mission is to have Sport Doing Good be a consistent, and significant, contributor to the areas of sports, social responsibility, and development. We look forward to partnering with other stakeholders in producing content, in creating and/or sponsoring athletic and service events, knowledge sharing, and conferences/seminars, and even having a commercial arm that could be the source of innovative social businesses.

We invite you to send in news, press releases, and guest pieces for possible publication, and email us with suggestions about the content and format of the newsletter and Sports Doing Good website.

Contact Information
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Sarbjit “Sab” Singh
sab@sportsdoinggood.com
516-287-7141
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